The apex court hearing the AIFF sanction by FIFA, dissolved the Committee of Administrators (CoA) — the panel it appointed last year to run the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
In its oral order, the Supreme Court bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud said: “The day-to-day management of AIFF shall be looked after by the AIFF administration led by the acting secretary general- Sunando Dhar exclusively”
The court revised the date to hold the AIFF elections, originally scheduled for August 28, by one week and said the voters’ list will consist of representatives of the 36 members representing states and union territories only.
The executive council of the AIFF would consist of 23 members, of whom 17 members – inclusive of the president, treasurer, and one vice-president – will be elected by the representatives of state associations and union territories. Apart from these 17 members, six eminent players (four men, two women) would be co-opted to the executive council with voting rights, the apex court said in its order.
During the hearing, the counsel appearing for the CoA, Gopal Shankarnarayan, submitted that an ‘interim audit report of the AIFF has been submitted by Deloitte to the CoA’. “There are findings of siphoning off. We have asked for the final report,” he said. The court said the government will take the final report into consideration once it is received.
The order is likely to pave the way for the lifting of India’s suspension, which has impacted the national team as well as the clubs.
The centre on Sunday had filed an application seeking an end to the ‘mandate’ of the CoA, as demanded by the world governing body.